S.Amdt. 756

SA 756. Mr. PERDUE (for himself and Mr. Braun) submitted an amendment
intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 1790, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2020 for military activities of the
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:

SEC. 108__. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE NATIONAL DEBT AS A
THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) in February 2019, the total public debt outstanding was
more than $22,000,000,000,000, resulting in a total interest
expense of more than $192,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2019;
(2) on December 21, 2018, the total public debt as a
percentage of gross domestic product was 104 percent;
(3) the last balanced Federal budget was signed into law in
1997;
(4) in fiscal year 2018, Federal tax receipts totaled
$3,329,000,000,000, but Federal outlays totaled
$4,108,000,000,000, leaving the Federal Government with a 1-
year deficit of $779,000,000,000;
(5) every year since the last balanced Federal budget was
signed in 1997, Congress has failed to maintain a fiscally
responsible budget and has typically relied on raising the
debt ceiling;
(6) the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees
project that the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will
be depleted in 2026;
(7) the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees
project that the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund
will be depleted in 2034;
(8) the credit rating of the United States was reduced by
Standard and Poor's from AAA to AA+ on August 5, 2011, and
has remained at that level since that date;
(9) without a targeted effort to balance the Federal
budget, the credit rating of the United States is certain to
continue to fall;
(10) the National Security Strategy issued by President
Donald Trump highlights the need to reduce the national debt
through fiscal responsibility;
(11) on April 12, 2018, former Secretary of Defense James
Mattis warned that ``any Nation that can't keep its fiscal
house in order eventually cannot maintain its military
power'';
(12) on March 6, 2018, Director of National Intelligence
Dan Coats warned: ``Our continued plunge into debt is
unsustainable and represents a dire future threat to our
economy and to our national security'';
(13) on November 15, 2017, former Secretaries of Defense
Leon Panetta, Ash Carter, and Chuck Hagel warned: ``Increase
in the debt will, in the absence of a comprehensive budget
that addresses both entitlements and revenues, force even
deeper reductions in our national security capabilities'';
and
(14) on September 22, 2011, former Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen warned: ``I believe the
single, biggest threat to our national security is debt''.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the national debt is a threat to the national security
of the United States;
(2) deficits are unsustainable, irresponsible, and
dangerous; and
(3) Congress should commit to addressing the fiscal crisis
faced by the United States.
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